Tractor.



C. B. KLEIN.

TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 22. I913.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

TRACTOR.

To all 117mm it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES B. KLEIN, a

- citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county ofLos Angeles and State of California, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Tractors, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to a power tractor, principally for horticulturaland agricultural purposes.

Objects of this invention are to provide a tractor, of simple,inexpensive and reasonably light construction, in which the roadclearance is as high as practicable, the drag is effected from thefront, and the direction of travel of the tractor controlled without anysteering mechanism.

lVith these and other objects in view this invention consists of thefeatures, details of construction and combination of parts, described inconnection with the accompanying drawing and then more particularlypointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention. Fig. 2 is aside elevation, and Fig. 3is an end elevation, the power plant beingomitted from this view.

Referring to the drawing, 1, designates a frame mounted on and rigidlyconnected with an inverted U-shaped axle 2, on the spindles of which arejournaled traction wheels 3 and 4. The frame 1, is provided withdepending braces 5 and 6, through which the spindles of the axle 2,extend, said braces serving to give strength to and hold the axle invertical alinement. Secured to the wheels 3 and 4 are sprocket wheels 7and 8, connected with sprocket wheels 9 and 10, by chains 11 and 12.Said sprocket wheels 9 and 10, are keyed or otherwise secured on shafts13 and 14, journaled in pillow blocks 15 and 16, on said frame 1, thesaid shafts having an intermediate differential speed transmissionmechanism, not shown, in a housing 17, whereby one shaft may revolveindependently of the other in accordance with load variations. On saidshafts 13 and 14, are mounted disks 18 and 19, over which are extendedbrake bands 20 and 21, connected with bell-cranks 22 and 23, on shafts24 and 25, said bell-cranks being operable by levers 26 and 27 tocontract andcause said brake bands 20 and 21, to grip said disks 18 and19. As seen, these shafts 24 and 25, are carried by a suitable bearing28, on the frame 1. The steering of the tractor Specification of LettersPatent. Patented Sept21, 1915, Application filed December 22, 1913.ScriaI No. 808,296.

is accomplished by the aforementioned brake bands 20 and 21, which, asis obvious, may be alternately tightened to grip one or the other ofsaid disks. Thus any application of one of the bands to one of the disks18 and 19, causes an additional load to be thrown thereon, effecting asa result, a retardation of the speed thereof, while the speed of theother disk is increased. The freely moving traction wheel travels underthese conditions faster than the retarded one and in so doing causes thetractor to swerve. When the brake band is released, the two wheels 3 and4 willagain revolve in unison. Power is transmitted to said speedtransmission mechanism through a shaft 29, and a gas or other engine 30,mounted on the frame 1, such mechanism being controlled by levers 31, 32and 33, which forming no part of this invention and being of knownconstruction, need no further description.

At or about the center of the rear of said frame 1, and extendingoutwardly therefrom, is a bar 34, carrying an adjustable seat 35, and anadjustable foot rest 36, for the operator. This bar 34, is so formed, asseen, that it may be inverted, as shown in Fig. 2, dotted lines, toafford a loyver posi-.

tion for the operator, especially where close proximity to the ground isdesirable to avoid injury to low hanging limbs and fruit laden branchesof orchard trees. Where the greatest distance from the ground isrequired, as in cultivating corn and the like, the seat is adjusted tothe elevated osition as shown in f Fig. 1, both positions a ording aneasy view of the progress of cultivation on account of the distance atwhich the seat is removed from the frame. In the latter instanceofcultivation, the aforementioned U-shaped axle 2, is especiallyadvantageous, since it is high enough to readily pass over the top ofthe corn stalks with no or the slightest con-' tact. As seen, the frameis attached to the axle at or about the center thereof. To hold the saidframe parallel with the ground, idlers 37, are provided, these idlersbeing journaled in legs 38, swiveled in the frame. The front of thetractor is provided with a plurality of draw-heads 39, formed preferablyof. two spaced pieces 40 and 41, having holes 42, for bolts 43,preferably carrying spaces 44. These drawheads 39, are provided for thepurpose of attaching thereto the tongues, shafts or drag bars ofagriculplained. They may, however, be attached used topropel thetractor, it may through at any other point or to any other part of thetractor, for instance between the idlers 37 and traction wheels 3 and 4,which would be necessary where an unusually wide cultivator is used. Tothese drawheads 39, may also be directly attached, if desired,cultivator teeth, blades, ora cutter bar, which latter may be operatedthrough a suitable connection or motion transmitting element,

not shown, connecting the cutterbar operating mechanism witha pulley 45,on the engine 1 shaft .46. 1 Where the engine is not this pulley-45, beused totransmit power'for any other purpose.

In Fig. 2, it will behoted that the holes 42 in the drawheads-39,begin-0n a line parallel with, and that thebalance of them are below thecenter of the axle spindles. Where, therefore, an implement is attachedto said drawheads at a point parallel with said spindles, whatever loadis being drawn" by the tractor, is thrown directly onthewheels 3 and 4,whereby obviously the tractive'force thereof is considerably increased,and this tractive force is increased proportionally as the distance ofattachment and the direct pull is increasedbelow the axle spindlecenters.

What I claim, is

1. A tractor comprising a frame, a

wheeled axle formed to support said frame above the center of thewheels, a pair of idlers for the rear of said frame, a plurality ofdrawheads depending from sald frame forward of the axle and below thecenter of said wheels, a motor, variable speed transmission means forsaid wheels, and means to govern said speed transmission to control therelative speeds of said wheels.

2. A tractor comprising an axle, wheels journaled on said axle, a frame,a propelling mechanism for said wheels, draw heads on said frame andforward of said axle and extending below the center of said axle, saiddraw heads having a plurality of holes provided in that portion of saiddrawheads which extends below said axle center, and a means in saidholes for fastening thereto the'drag bar of anv implement.

3. A tractor. comprising an axle, a pair of traction, wheelsyjournaledthereon, a frame connected centrally ofr'itsl'ength to said axle,

a pair of .idlers' for the rear of said frame, an implement drawingmeans attached to p saidframe forward of the axle, a propelling 1 neclijai ism for'hsaid Wheels, and means to govern the relative speeds of.said wheels whereby tocontrol the direction of travel of said tractor.t

p .4. A tractor comprising an axle, ap'air of wheelsjourn aled onfsaidaxle, a frame connected centrally of, its length to said axle, a.pairiof-idlers for the. rear of said frame, a

plurality-of drawheads depending from said frame, a means to drive saidwheels and means to govern the relative speeds of said wheels whereby tocontrol the direction of said tractor, andan invertible seat attached tothe 'rearof said frame.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

. CHARLES B. KLEIN.

Witnesses:

w. H. Glam, E. L. STILWELL.

